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She swallowed the bout of nausea sloshing in her gut.
A bullet whirred by, and she ducked.
A shatteringthwackexploded ten feet to her right—the bark of the tree it hit flying in shards about the forest floor.
She scrambled to a boulder twenty feet in the opposite direction, pressing her back against the cold rock, her gun tight in her hand.
Another shot whirred by, shattering another tree ten feet away.
Had the man backtracked?
Footsteps sounded—nearing her. She prayed her thudding heart didn’t give her position away.
She pressed her back harder against the boulder as the heavyfootfalls approached. Closer. Closer still. She could hear his breathing.
Dear Lord, help.Securing her gun in her grip, she waited, ready to fire.
A shot nailed the boulder mere inches from her head. A second shot followed, closer still.
She leaned around the side of the boulder and pulled the trigger before the man could get his next shot off.
The Glock recoiled in her grip.Crack.Thwack.
The man’s torso flung as the bullet collided with his shoulder. A cursed moan escaped his lips. Cussing a string of obscenities, he returned fire. She dropped low, and the bullet nailed the boulder across from her. Then, with a groan, he turned and ran.
Pop. Pop. Pop.At her nine. Fifty yards and closing fast.
Christian.
Rising, she broke into a full-out run, trying to locate Christian’s position. She bounded out of the tree cover, the sun blinding. A hand grasped hard around her upper arm, yanking her back so swiftly, her feet went out from under her. Adrenaline seared through her, and she swung.
“Whoa!” Christian said, taking the punch in his jaw.
Her eyes flashed wide. “Sorry. I thought you were him.”
He settled her back on the ground but didn’t let go. “He’s headed for the creek.” He pointed, and she looked, her head swirling on the steep drop-off she’d nearly run over.
Thank you, Lord, for Christian. That would have been a deadly drop.
“There,” Christian said, pointing at the figure sliding toward the creek, the forest floor skidding like sand in his wake.
“This way.” Christian pointed to his three o’clock. “If we hurry, we can probably cut him off at the road.”
“Don’t wait for me.” It was amazing how fast he ran.
She followed, but he disappeared into the distance again. Light and shade vacillated in moving shadows before her, dizzying her head, but she pressed on. She tramped over damp moss, her feetsliding across the slick surface, but she managed to maintain her balance this time.
Christian’s silhouette flashed into her line of sight, then disappeared over what had to be another ridge.
Air burning her lungs, it seemed to take forever, but she finally reached the ridge. Christian was already down it.
She shifted sideways, moving along the natural slope of the hill, trying to avoid rocks and moss. Thick brush and brambles covered her path. She shimmied through as fast as she could, thistles sticking to her yoga pants.
Reaching the creek, she looked up and down, and finally spotted Christian climbing the ridge on the opposite side.
A gun retorted.
Please, Lord, keep Christian safe.
